Pepin offers a day's worth of adventure — from four-star food and wine to quaint museums and art-inspired stores. Though it's less than 70 miles from the cities, the Wisconsin village can seem a world away.

Winter's surprise arrival caught many of us with a "to do" list that wasn't quite "done." But there are very good reasons to tackle some chores, no matter how unsavory the thought of battling the cold, snow and ice might be.

George Ball is bullish on gardening. But then, he ought to be. Ball is the chairman of Burpee Seed, one of the nation's largest seed, plant and supply companies. We talked to Ball - in English with a smattering of French - about "catalog creep," our hunger for new plants and the explosive growth in gardening.

Denise Rouleau and Mark D. Roberts weren't intending to mark the end of an era. They just wanted to put together an exhibition of photos of Como Park's Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, one of their favorite places to shoot.